Guar and Guar Gum

What is Guar Gum

Guar is the name of an annual herbaceous plant ( Cyamopsis tetragonolobus, Leguminose fam.) Of Indian origin, but also cultivated in several other parts of the world, such as neighboring Pakistan, China and the United States. Not more than two meters high, it produces fruits (pods) containing 5-9 seeds from which the famous guar gum is obtained.

Once collected, these seeds are dried, peeled to separate the egg white from the outer integuments, then ground. The result of this manufacturing process is an idrosoluible powder, white-ivory colored and marketed with the name of gum or guar flour.

Composition

From the chemical point of view it is a hydrocolloid polysaccharide, consisting mainly of high molecular weight galactomannans; the latter are polymers consisting of linear chains of mannose monomers, branched with monosaccharide units of galactose. Guar gum contains 70-80% galactomannan, a minimum amount of water (10-13%), proteins (4-5%), crude fibers (1.5-2%), fats (0, 50-0.75%) and traces of iron.

Properties and Uses

This product is widely used in the food and cosmetics industry. One of its most interesting properties concerns the ability to absorb considerable amounts of water, with which it forms particularly viscous solutions even when it works in difficult environmental conditions; guar gum is in fact soluble both in cold water and in hot water and tolerates very light pH deviations from neutrality very well. All these characteristics, together with the low cost, make it an excellent thickening and gelling agent, particularly used in cosmetics . Because of the good emollient and softening properties of the skin, guar gum is part of the composition of moisturizing, cleansing and hair care creams.

The food industry exploits its thickening, stabilizing and thickening properties in the preparation of numerous products, such as ice cream, sauces, preserved meats and beverages. Its use can be reported on the label in full or with the abbreviation E412.

Guar supplement

A valid ally against diabetes, obesity and high cholesterol

Confirmed by numerous studies, the hypoglycemic virtues of guar gum depend on its ability to regularize the glycemic index of the meal, slowing and reducing the absorption of carbohydrates; for this reason it represents a very useful complement in the diet of diabetics.

Guar gum is also indicated for those suffering from high cholesterol, given its ability to lower blood LDL levels.

The intestinal fermentation of this fiber, made by the local bacterial flora, gives rise to short chain fatty acids, some of which, after being absorbed, are conveyed directly to the liver. Once in this location, short chain fatty acids perform their cholesterol-lowering action by reducing cholesterol synthesis.

Like all water-soluble fibers, guar gum also has chelating properties. The gelatinous compound to which it originates in the intestine interferes with the absorption of bile salts, fats and cholesterol, helping to improve the blood lipid profile.

Does it Lose Weight?

Guar gum is used in the context of diets globally aimed at controlling or reducing body weight. Its remarkable hygroscopic properties favor gastric distension, inhibiting the appetite. In one study, ten grams of guar taken for two months before main meals (for a total of 20 g / day), allowed a group of nine women, with an initial weight of between 72 and 109 kg, of lose on average 4kg each. The researchers also noted a reduction in blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides.

The slimming effect of guar gum appears to be time-dependent and dose-dependent (the longer and longer it is taken and the greater its positive effects on weight loss). However, it is advisable not to exceed the recommended intake doses, since higher quantities could cause intestinal disorders (flatulence, meteorism) and significantly reduce the absorption of useful nutrients to the body. If taken simultaneously with antibiotics (phenoxymethylpenicillin) it can reduce its absorption.

Finally, if accompanied by abundant amounts of water, guar gum can prove to be a useful complement also in the treatment of constipation.

Partially hydrolyzed guar gums

Partially hydrolysed guar gums have recently appeared on the market, indicated with the acronym PHGG which, unlike the originals, always remain liquid and do not gel.

Having reached the intestinal level, they behave as regulators of water balance, absorbing any water that is present in excess (useful in the case of diarrhea) or releasing it when the intestinal material is dehydrated (constipation).

Partially hydrolyzed guar gums are indicated for regularizing the blood glucose level in non-secretory diarrhea and in case of irritable and diverticulosis. Unlike traditional guar gum, they are well tolerated and are not accompanied by particular disorders of gastrointestinal origin. The recommended dose is 5 g / day, to be taken in a single solution.